Guardian Hero
by Marilynn Lake
Summary: "Link took sword and shield to find a new occupation, other than herding goats and planting pumpkins. So he came to Hyrule Castle, and signed away his life to be in the Royal Guard of Hyrule...,and now, he regretted it."  TP rewritten,:D
1. Letters from Ordon

"Listen up, soldiers! If you're here for glory or honor, leave now! For the task assigned is to guard the Princess, and stand with her in battle! When the time comes, you will stand your ground in front of her, and you will protect her with your life!"

The last of the General's speech faded, echoing through the overcrowded barracks. Link nodded privately to himself.

Link was a young man, tired of the farm life that had trapped him for seventeen years. He took sword and shield to find a new occupation, other than herding goats and planting pumpkins. So he came to Hyrule Castle, and signed away his life to be in the Royal Guard of Hyrule. It was a snap decision; and now, as he laid out a blanket on the cold, stone ground, he regretted it.

The food the soldiers ate was a slop, similar to what pigs ate, if not worse. Yet he had never been hungrier in his entire life.

Every morning, at unearthly hours, the soldiers would go and train. The first thing they would do was archery training, in which they fired arrows at targets, held by a shielded soldier. Every other day, Link would practice with fire arrows, burning himself each and every time. However, if he dropped an arrow or misfired, the General's voice would boom in his ear, "Having a problem, Soldier?" and he would mutter, "No sir," and continue to fire.

Next came the sword training. The soldiers would fight each other, until one was struck; they fought with wooden swords, doing little to no damage. Link was excellent at this profession-he made it all the way up the line to the General, where he met his match, considering the fact that the General wouldn't fight with wood, just with steel.

After that, the soldiers would go to obstacle courses. They would climb ropes, slick with oil. They would jump over burning objects or hurdle themselves over spiky traps, like circus animals.

Dinner was the only meal of the day. They ate quickly, and they'd bribe eachother for their food. "Hey, Hugh, I'll give ya' a yellow rupee for the rest of yer' slop," one soldier elbowed Link.

"My name's not Hugh, sorry, and I'm starving," Link would say. He wasn't comfortable around other soldiers. They were there for the glory of battle, and it frustrated Link. However much he hated it here, he would never have left. Zelda was his only priority. He would protect her as if the world revolved around her.

Soldiers were expected to sleep after dinner, which was normal. However, Link spent half the night writing and reading letters to and from his friends in Ordon.

To Link. Whats it like being a solder and all? we miss you. From Talo.

The letters were clumsily addressed and signed, but it felt good to have people talking to him. He opened the next letter, one from Malo.

To Link

Where are you? I doubt you have truly become a soldier. Can you send me proof?

Malo.

Link smiled. That kid was always so cynical, yet very intelligent. How he could read and write was beyond him. With a sad smile, he opened the letter from Ilia, his former best friend. He had left in the middle of the night, with just a note, to avoid her confrontation.

Link,

How could you leave us like this? Right before the Ordon Festival, no less! You've been shirking your responsibilities, and now you just LEAVE? And to become a soldier? Do you want Epona to be a war horse? War horses die every day, with the filthy stables they're kept in, and the diseases the other horses bring in! And you, you could be killed too! How could you do this to us? To me?

Ilia.

P.S, I'm not going to get over this one.

Link smiled a real smile, now. Her tantrum couldn't touch him, couldn't persuade him to set foot in that small village again. However, he did miss Ilia's voice; even when she was angry, she was still his best friend.

After sending off a generic response to the kids, he lingered on Ilia's. He wrote that he was sorry, and that he would come and take her to see Hyrule once he got out of training. He explained the food, and the conditions, hoping to get a sympathetic response out of her.

And then he trained.

Link had become master swordsman through hard work and extra training. Every night, he would go forth and fight the General, who had taken the challenge. Back and forth, their swords making clicks and clangs in the silent night. They fought until the sentry switched guards, meaning it was roughly one in the morning. Link woke up at three.

Of course, Link never actually got to guard the princess. That was the General's job, although the man had become fond of Link and promoted him to his second-in-command.

And that day, the last day of Link's training, was when the Twilight came.

Author's Note: This was just a passing idea as I was thinking about writing another fic. So, please do tell me what you think! Chapter two is coming soon. :)


	2. Duty Calls

Link's blue eyes shifted to his right. The man beside him was burly, with huge arms and a large figure altogether. He wore the same thing that Link himself did; silver plated armor with chainmail covering whatever the rest left off. Underneath, a white shirt with Hyrule's most treasured symbol, the Hylian Crest, with dark grey trousers.

The General truly had become his friend, as well as his equal. He had been promoted by the General _to_ a General position, though he insisted on calling his former leader "sir" no matter what.

"Sir?" Link's medium tone rang out through the tense silence.

"Yea, Link?" was the General's response.

"What's your name?" Link's question, seemingly the most important step in knowing someone, took the General aback. Link's vivid eyes shone with sincerity. "I want to know. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Kale."

"It was nice to know you, Kale," Link said softly.

The throne room doors were wrenched open, the chains that bound them futile. With a metallic screech, they shattered.

"Stand your ground, soldiers!" Kale boomed. It echoed through the room, filled with tense bodies and anxiety for the enemy they knew nothing about.

"Draw!" Link boomed, imitating Kale's deep voiced shout. Everyone in the room drew swords, and Link, startled by the noise so close behind him, turned his head to see the Princess, her elegant dress and glass-sapphire tiara and all, draw a thin blade herself.

How unexpected.

But as Link turned his head back to the scene before him, gigantic, black creatures sprinted at inhuman speeds towards the first line of soldiers. He knew their names, and the names of their families. He felt a pinprick of guilt; he agonized over choosing who would surely die first.

These creatures had a large, engraved-looking black disk where a face should been. They had a mane-like fringe around their facial disks that extended to the floor, making whispering sounds as it dragged.

And the first wave of soldiers did not have the chance to strike these creatures, as they were held up by their throats in the air. With choking gurgles, they lost consciousness; alive or dead, Link didn't know. He supposed it didn't matter—the beasts shook the bodies and tossed them ruthlessly against the walls, the cracking of bone breaking being the cringe-worthy sound of the year.

The creatures halted and stood at what seemed to be attention to the next black shape.

This one was vaguely human. It walked on two legs, at least.

It wore a long-sleeved, baggy shirt that made it to where, on a human, knees would have been. It was patterned with cyan markings, seemingly meaningless to Hylians. It had black leggings on that reached to knobby, ghastly pale ankles that had a grey-blue tint to them. It had lizard-reminiscent style shoes that were a tacky dull gold.

But the most dominant feature about this entity was its (hopefully) mask. It was pointy, sticking straight up, and had a very dominant fish-head-like face; gills and all. The mouth was open, with a curved tongue-looking thing where a mouth would be. There were no apparent eyeholes in the mask, nor ventilation.

"I thought you would have gathered stronger forces, Princess," its slippery, low voice stated. It was a male, then. "Your people are undeserving of this realm."

"Undeserving, are we, Zant? Yet your people are the ones banished from this realm themselves? Hypocrisy and lies have gotten you nowhere, I see," The Princess' high voice was perfectly calm.

"It is your choice," Zant said. "Surrender, and live under me; or fight, and die!"

Zelda smirked a little. "Are any of you afraid to die?" She asked the soldiers at large.

A defiant cry rang out through the room, and the soldiers waved their swords high.

Closing her eyes momentarily, it was the Princess who made the first move. She stabbed her sword forward, seemingly at nothing; a copy of her sword flew at Zant's head. He sidestepped, and raised his arm.

The signal had been given; the beasts resumed their attack. The last three waves rushed forward, including Link and Kale, who had been unwillingly teleported to a different part of the room. With a panicked look, they saw Zelda and Zant engaged in sword fighting.

The creatures were small in numbers; there must have been six in total. Three lay dead on the ground, swords stuck into their heads from behind. However, the numbers of dead Hylians vastly outnumbered that; there were bleeding, crushed, unconscious men littering the floor.

Link took one on himself, but he found himself surrounded by two. However, an agonizing scream filled the room as a Hylian and a beast dropped dead, side by side. Kale came to fight back to back with Link, and Kale had almost delivered the death blow.

_Kill them at the same time!_

The high, girlish voice rang through Link's head. It was not him. It was not his imagination, he was positive. If he was going mad, why would it be a _girl's_ voice? And saying something so simple…

"Stop, Kale!" Link shouted over the groans of dying men and bleeding beasts. "We have to kill them at the same time."

Kale grunted approval, and he and Link stabbed their swords through the beast's heads at perfect timing. But with a startled look at Link's hand, Kale broke the silence. "Link, are you…o-okay?"

Link's birthmark, the shape of the Triforce, pulsed gold, then blue, over and over again. Link nodded. Kale chuckled to himself; it made sense to him—Link was strong and courageous.

They rushed forward to the Princess, but a haze surrounded them, and a sweeping feeling of fatigue rushed through them. It was as if they were running in slow motion. It faded and came back, over and over. But they persisted, and suddenly it was done.

Zant lifted an arm again, and Kale and Link flew up towards the ceiling at blinding speed.

With a nonchalant motion, Zant dropped his arm and continued his fight with Zelda.

Crunching, cracking, ripping, tearing, bleeding, spilling. It was all there for Link. His vision was blurry, and clouded with black. The pain did not stop, however. He did not lose consciousness as the life flooded out of him.

The broken bones hurt the worst. The ache was bearable, but the insistent, steady stream of pain continued. The cuts and such stung, but Link was used to stinging bees and wasps in Ordon.

Ordon. Where he left those sad, small-town, farm-village people in the middle of the night. Where he left his caregivers and friends. How would they know if he died? Would they be notified? Link didn't think so. This battle was going to be the last if the Princess did not survive, and with the magic that Zant possessed, his thoughts were less than optimistic.

_Get up._

Again, the voice was not his own; this didn't bother him. Whoever or whatever had seized part of his mind would be out of a job soon, anyway.

Yet he felt a distinct feeling in his feet, starting with his broken toes. They felt…whole again. And his ankles and legs and torso, his head and his arms…

He had been healed. By what, he did not know, but he thanked the Goddesses and hurried to his feet. Link was still far away from Zelda, and he was running as fast as he could.

Zelda's sword clanged off of the back wall, and Zant seized her. His thumb held her up by her chin, the rest of his hand on the back of her head, forcing her to look at him. His mask retracted.

"Surrender to me," He rasped.

"_Here_ is your surrender!" Zelda hissed, spitting upon his face. In a flash, he dropped her and tried to kick her—yet a pinkish barrier surrounded Zelda, and his foot collided.

Looking like a young child who had stubbed his toe, he jumped around on one foot. Link took advantage of his pain and misjudgment and sprung upon his back, driving his sword straight down into his head. He ceased jumping, and with an eerie look, turned his head fully around, sword and all, to face Link.

"Nice try," Zant laughed, pulling the sword out of his head and throwing it to the ground. Link backed up for every step Zant took.

A golden arrow sent Zant jumping back.

"Come on!" Link rushed to Zelda, who was firing arrows at a rapid pace. "We have to leave!"

Zelda ran backwards, continually blocking Zant's magic attacks with arrows. She hit him, and caused substantial damage. He retreated deeper into the castle, and Link took Zelda by the hand and hauled her out, into the now-deserted Castle Town, and farther out, to East Hyrule field. Out of breath, the two collapsed on the bridge, just in time to see a golden, black-streaked barrier envelope the castle.

_ "Damn it all!"_ Zelda shouted. She put her head in her hands and ripped off her gloves, throwing them off the bridge in a very un-lady-like fashion.

"It took you all long enough," the high, girlish voice complained.

Sitting on the bridge railing, with Zelda's gloves in hand, sat an imp, the imp with the voice that was in Link's mind.

** Author's Note: I hope you all liked that one. Little bit of a cliffie…**** Well, we'll have to update soon, then. It's midnight and I have to wake up early, so, goodbye!**


	3. Infestation

Link drew his sword, cautious of this strange creature. Her eyes, instead of having white around the iris, had yellow; then bright red to the pupil. She was quite a sight—a frightening one. He took a small step in front of Zelda.

Zelda sighed. "She poses no threat to us, Link. Be at ease."

"Too bad," the imp sighed. "I was hoping to watch that twerp swing a piece of metal around. Might have been entertaining!" The imp giggled, her eyes rolling. "I don't feel like wasting my breath on two Light dwellers, so..."

Link gasped as the imp's presence again entered his mind. His sight was cut off, and instead of vision, he saw a memory that was not his.

In the memory, a tall, thin woman, silhouetted in the twilight, was backing away from a man that looked eerily like Zant. He advanced upon her, shouting, but the memory had no sound; he raised his hand and brought it down again; the woman fell to the floor, and so did a strange helmet-like object. Zant picked up the rest and walked out of the scene. The woman's cloak no longer fit her; as the cursed girl tried to stand, it slid off. The imp grabbed the helmet and put it on with a frightening smile.

"So, you see my predicament," the imp laughed. "I want something from you all...but you want something from me, too, I think."

"Your name?" Zelda asked. Link was silent, searching his mind for the woman's presence.

"Midna," Midna giggled.

"And I see that you want Zant to fall, also...Your realm was taken," the Princess' voice reverted into a monotone.

"I need something from you both, first...but you must already know what it is," Midna laughed again. Flipping onto her back in midair, she clasped her dual-toned hands behind her head and lounged, suspended, above the bridge.

"Link," Zelda whispered, turning from Midna. "You don't have to do this. I must help her. She is our only hope of defeating Zant."

Link nodded, determined to continue his duties as Royal Guard. With a shock, he realized that he was the only one left...revenge entered his mind, too.

"We will help," Zelda agreed.

With perfect timing, a black cloud exited the barrier around the castle. It dispersed, branching off into thousands of rivers of flying creatures. As a stream of hundreds of them flew towards Link and Zelda, they realized that they were bats.

Link split the first couple bats in two, their bodies disappearing once they hit the ground. Their eyes glowed red and pulsated constantly, making it hard to see which were the closest to him. They formed a circle around Link, and even with the light arrows that killed about twenty per shot, it wasn't enough.

A bat latched on to the back of Link's neck for less than a second; Link fell to the wooden planks of the bridge, and the bats dispersed. He gasped and blinked, getting on all fours.

"Link, don't-" Zelda started. The bats didn't touch her—they had been focused on Link.

A second wave of bats flew above them, blanketing the sky. With each wingbeat, the bats dropped twilight upon the land. Zelda trembled, blinking, much like Link had; but she saw nothing. Midna sighed.

With a sharp _snap_, Midna threw her old cloak upon Zelda. It stopped her shuddering; within a minute, she regained her sight.

"Thank you," she whispered. Getting down on her knees, she gazed at Link. His eyes were shut, and he looked dead; but his body continued to spasm and shake. His hands dug into the wood, making scratch marks; his back arched upwards, as if he was being jerked around.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. With an agonized scream, everything human about him left. All he felt was pain, and agony, and then just pain again. His sight pulsed blue, and feral, knowing eyes replaced soft blue ones. Claws replaced nails, fur replaced armor, and legs replaced arms.

Zelda gasped, and Midna's eyes lit up in excitement. "The Sacred Beast," she whispered.

"Link."

Link resurfaced again, a lack of pain making him alert. He growled at the voice.

"Link, it's Zelda. Are you awake now?"

Zelda. That name was familiar. He stopped growling, and jerked his head sharply to the speaker. Worried gray eyes looked down at him, and she knelt, extending her hand. He sniffed her hand cautiously, memorizing the scent as something not to attack.

A sharp giggle escaped Midna's lips, and Link snarled, looking around. She jumped on his back, and he leaped upwards, trying to throw her off, to no avail. Zelda sighed, looking exasperated.

"Oh, stop it, dog boy. We need to get you human again, and Miss-know-it-all says you need some sword for it. It's in the Lost Woods. Isn't that lovely? But first, you have to restore Light to the area of Farok or something. I didn't pay attention," Midna laughed. She pulled back his ear. "It's up to you—save your world and become human, or stay as you are."

Link growled.

Zelda's voice turned menacing. "Do not taunt him, Midna."

"Oh? And why not-" Midna challenged, being cut off by Link rolling onto his back, effectively smashing Midna onto the ground.

Zelda smiled bitterly, and Midna separated into particles and floated a few feet away from Link. She grimaced. "Stupid dog..."

Link abruptly leaped at her, snapping. He didn't mean to hit her, and he didn't—he wanted her to think he did. She frowned at him and got on his back again. He growled, but didn't do anything.

"Good boy," Midna smiled.

**Author's Note: Okay, not really a long chapter, nor a good one. I'm going to be on a last-minute trip to my older sister's house, and probably won't update. Not sure if she has internet. We'll see. Hope you all liked it! :)**


	4. Instructed

After some slight bickering between the Princess and Midna, the newly-joined group strode into Eastern Hyrule field, aptly nicknamed by the other soldiers "Bulblin heaven". With Link's new heightened senses and instincts, he was constantly leaping onto the backs of the lowly thieves and tearing at their necks; Midna floated away during these times, claiming it to be disgusting.

The sleek gray wolf darted through the brush, pausing only to let Zelda, whom he remembered his duties to, catch up. He knew only one destination—the woods of Faron, where, according to Midna, Twilight had fallen.

However, according to Zelda, he would not transform back into a human when he restored Light—if that was even possible. She claimed that he had been cursed; and only the Blade of Evil's Bane could restore him, if he was of a pure and courageous heart.

Link's new mind was simple, yet amazingly intelligent; he knew not how to express himself to humans, yet to other animals, he could do so with ease. Every word spoken was committed to memory, every tone analyzed and broken down into a simple message. If Zelda started her sentence loud, but ended in a normal tone, she was criticizing someone. If Midna spoke in a low tone, it meant she was being persuasive.

All of this was totally new to Link, yet he was an expert. As for physical aspects, he had full control of his body. He could leap four feet in the air and grab ahold of a Deku Baba's stunned head; he could run at a speed so fast that any onlooker would think it was a trick of the mind; he could keep his jaws locked in a death grip for any amount of time; he could hear a Bulblin's heart beating from twenty feet away; he could see in the darkness; he could smell and track like no human ever could; he could memorize and analyze in seconds.

Link could trace his horse's scent back to Faron. His senses were his greatest ally.

Suddenly, the area became rocky and gray. They were in the narrow passage to the Lake Hylia Bridge, which was one of the only "safe" areas left. After they crossed, the trio would encounter the Faron Field, which Link knew was dangerous. But after that, it was an easy trip to the Faron Spring.

With a loud _clunk_, Zelda's shoes hit the rocky wall. She sighed and continued to walk, a little faster than before. Midna snapped, and the shoes disappeared. "You're welcome."

The bridge was soaked in black oil. Link sniffed at it cautiously, scanned the area, and continued on. Zelda walked, barefoot, about five feet behind. "Link," she said.

"Do you really expect him to talk?" Midna said sleepily. She leaned on her stomach on the silver wolf.

"Link, I have a bad feeling about this. This is a trap," Zelda warned, her Triforce glowing faintly. But Link huffed and continued on.

Annoyed, she followed quickly, looking around. In the Twilight, her sight was impaired. The new light and black particle-like objects clouded her vision.

As they neared the end of the bridge, a Bublin riding atop a Kargarok sent a burning arrow onto one of the largest oil piles. The bird screeched and its blue wings stirred up the fire that was now burning at a rapid pace.

Midna and Zelda gasped, and Link darted forward. Zelda pulled up her numerous skirts and sprinted at top speed for the side. As she went, bomb arrows exploded around her, hitting the sides of the bridge and crumbling it. Zelda leaped towards the grass at the other side.

She didn't jump far enough.

Hysterically screaming, Zelda held onto the remains of the bridge with one hand, the other frantically gripping for a hold on the rough, destroyed stone. She found a good hold, but it crumbled—she shrieked again.

With a loud giggle, Midna grabbed hold of the back of Zelda's cloak with her hair, which took the form of a gigantic hand. She lifted Zelda into the air and onto solid ground.

As soon as Zelda's feet touched the ground, her knees buckled. In between gasps, she said, "Just...give me...a—minute..."

After a time that ended up being about ten minutes, Zelda was fully recovered. "Midna," She started. Link detected a persuasive edge. "Don't you have a _necklace_ from the Twilight Realm? This cloak is weighing me down too much. I can't run."

"Ugh," Midna grunted. "Fine. If you break it, you pay for it. In _my_ currency," She continued. Snapping again, she held a black and cyan-infused necklace. It was light and simple—the chain was black, and the stone was both black and cyan.

Link watched the exchange with critical eyes, something within him screaming for them to hurry up. He wanted to be human again—but that was not what he recognized. He wanted _something..._ And it drew him forward, to the Faron Province.

Zelda took the satin-looking dress and ripped the sides up to her thighs. She sighed again, apparently upset about destroying her royal attire.

Link walked forward carefully, remembering Epona's scent. The trail led carefully through more rocky passages and then around the edge of Faron Field. After attacking some more Bulblins from behind, the three made it to the Faron Spring.

"O Cursed Hero," Faron rasped. With only a dim droplet of pure light above the spring, it was easy to see that it was sickly. "Your journey...will be a long one...to restore...my light. Find the insects that steal the light...find the Tears."

An object materialized in front of Link, resembling a bunch of grapes. "Princess...the Goddesses are with you..."

With that, the spirit faded into the water again, and Zelda picked up the empty container.

Link darted off into the forest, now blanketed in twilight.

**Author's Note: I think I write better when there's little to no dialogue. **


	5. Faron Woods

The forest was not what Link was drawn to. Yet with Midna obnoxiously pointing out where there was a bug to kill, he couldn't find what he sought.

So he followed directions. Link sensed a bug and leaped upon it, tearing its head from its neck mercilessly. The bug would disappear and a Tear of Light would float away, presumably towards Zelda, who stayed at the Spring.

As he approached the final bug, a red barrier surrounded him. "Uh-oh. Umm...you can handle these guys on your own, right?" Midna laughed sheepishly and floated into a corner quickly. He growled uneasily; cocky Midna, floating away? Something was wrong.

A portal with strange markings appeared in the sky above. Instead of matching Midna's hands, it was black and red, versus black and cyan. The black beasts fell from it...one...two...three.

Link's vision tinted with red. He shuddered, and a quick flash of memory set him into a vicious rage—the General's dead body, lying on the floor of the throne room. The other soldiers that were slaughtered by these same beasts.

Link jumped on the neck of a Shadow Beast with lightning speed. He tore at the muscles that he knew were there, covered by a leathery-feeling skin. He wanted to feel the blood, he wanted to inflict pain...

As he tore upon the unsuspecting creature, another rushed up from behind and swiped a massive arm at Link, knocking him onto the cold forest dirt. Rolling quickly, he darted away and then back, tearing at the same beast again from a different angle. It went down quickly, and he leaped off of it and onto the other beast, repeating the process.

A high-pitched scream filled the forest. Link snarled, the noise giving him physical pain to listen to. And as the beasts all three revived and rushed at him, he backed up into the barrier; it stung him painfully.

He saw his opportunity to escape the three, and darted between two of them, into the corner with Midna. He jumped up and snapped at her face, leaving her mere inches from losing an eye. "Hey, now!" She cautioned. "Look, if you need help, ask _nicely... Okay_,_ okay!_ I'm going to expand an energy barrier and you need to kill all three at once!"

Link growled as Midna sat on his back again, but he soon felt an energy barrier surround them, and he knew she was finally helping. As he approached the despicable monsters, they crowded around him stupidly. As all three entered, Midna released—Link jumped at each of them with impossible speed, instantly killing all of them.

The barrier dissipated and Link dashed forward, to where the entrance to the Forest Temple was blocked off. As he stood on top of the area where the map marked the last bug _should_ be, he whined. He couldn't see or hear it.

"It's _right here! _Don't be so stupid. It's not like I can see it or anything! Just hurry up and kill it already..." Minda was cut off by a scuttling sound that echoed in the small space. With a horrid buzzing, it entered Link's sight and flew around rapidly to avoid his snapping jaws.

As Link jumped almost vertically upwards, Midna fell off of his back and landed on the ground. As she attempted to get back up, the bug dropped down on the ground, knocking Link to the side. It scuttled over to her quickly, using a spiky arm to lift Midna straight into the air. She was the same size as the bug, and weighed substantially less.

"_GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!"_ Midna screeched. To Link, it looked like she needed no help; with her hair that had once again become a hand, she repeatedly punched the creature in the head. It buzzed furiously and let go of her arm, running straight into the earthen wall and effectively killing itself.

Midna floated back onto Link's back. "_I told you to get it off!_ WHY did you decide not to help me?" She demanded angrily. Link ignored her until she stuck a blood-covered arm in front of his face. "See what it did?"

Link whined. He didn't want her to get hurt; he knew she was somehow key to getting back into a human form...He didn't understand the rest.

"Hmmph," Midna snorted. She stuck her nose in the air and was about to say something else, but as the Tear floated off, they faded into the Spring.

Faron, golden and magnificent, floated into the air. With a beautiful shimmer, the air became clean and Light returned, as well as the Sprit's power. "O Hero and Princess..."

Link tipped his nose down into the water in a sign of respect. This creature was pure.

Zelda stood and bowed humbly.

"You are in terrible danger...a dark soul lusts for this Realm...Only you may restore it...Go forth, O Hero, to the Sacred Grove...Restore to your true form..."

The spirit faded back into the water. As Zelda looked up at Link and Midna, she noticed the latter's injury.

"Midna, what in Din's name did you _do_ to yourself?" Zelda hissed, frustrated.

"It was _his_ fault-"

"Nevermind that. Here, let me see it," The princess said, grasping Midna's outstretched arm with a firm grip. Using her other hand, she dipped it into the spring water and dribbled it across of Midna's arm.

"HEY! That's _Light Water!_ That could give me a reaction!"

"Let me make myself clear. I. Don't. Care," Zelda stated, looking up at Midna. "I want my Kingdom back. And I have no problem helping you, either, so long as you cooperate and keep your promises. Understood, Midna?"

Midna pulled away, her arm completely healed. She turned her entire body away from Zelda and pouted.

"Link," Zelda said. "I have to go and get new clothes. I will be back by, well, it looks like sunrise now. I'll be back before noon. Before then, probably. I apologize for the inconvenience." She spoke only to Link.

With that, Zelda rushed off, dragging soaked skirts behind her. Link turned an ear in her direction; it seemed like she was going to Coro's home. He flopped over into the cool spring water and relaxed; though something was very urgently calling him. He didn't know what.

Zelda sighed. It seemed as if no one was outside, and if she could avoid breaking in and stealing something, she wanted to. After knocking on the house that belonged to Coro, she weighed her options. Break in, or walk the mile to Ordon.

She didn't really have a choice; she wouldn't steal. So she made her way through the forest to Ordon.

After the Ordon Spring passed through her peripheral vision, she noticed something amiss.

While everything, physically, looked fine, as she gazed ahead she felt on edge and wary. A rustle in the bushes would make her jump, and she longed for a sword and shield. Maybe she could bargain one off of the Ordonians.

A loud branch snapped and she whirled around, which turned out to be a mistake. She was faced with nothing but pristine forest. Zelda had a dreadful feeling as she turned towards the village again...And there stood a Bulblin, standing ready with a club.

As Zelda ducked, she swept one bare foot under the Bulblin's feet, knocking it on the ground, senseless. She searched her mind for a weapon, but found only her bare hands. She tried to remember a fast technique to kill a semi-humanoid creature...

-()-

_"Momma? Mommy, where did you go?" Zelda asked. She looked around; she was just playing in the Southern Hyrule Field, where the entrance to Castle Town was. She loved the feel of the fountain's pure water washing over her. She could play in it all day._

_ A large shadow covered Zelda's childish body. With the midday sun, it was hard to see any reflection in the water. _

_ Somehow, Zelda couldn't place the figure. It was extremely thin around the ribs, yet had a huge head and wide legs and waist. "Mommy?" She whispered, turning her head to face whatever stood behind her._

_ A red Bokoblin barred yellow teeth in a disgusting grimace. She screamed and tried to run; her dress tripped her, and she fell face first into the fountain._

_ Luckily, a Hylian Archer that happened to be passing by had fired at the Bokoblin...once, twice...three times before it fell, dead, into the fountain, staining it red. _

_ Hysterical, Zelda ran through Castle Town, finally running into her Mother, who had been picking out a piece of jewelry. "Honey, why are you all wet? You were playing in the fountain again, weren't you? You know I told you..." But her mother stopped when she saw the tears falling from Zelda's young eyes. _

_ That night, her mother and father taught her how to fight._

-()-

The memory played through her head at a lightning speed and Zelda stood over the Bulblin, carefully placing her hand on its neck and holding firmly on its air supply. Wheezing, it struggled pointlessly and died a rather peaceful death.

This only partially bothered Zelda. She had learned to kill, and was taught to restrict her feelings of pity to the creatures that attempted to end her life. Her eyes darted around nervously, making sure nothing else lurked in the shadows.

She wiped her hands on the destroyed dress and continued forward, being confronted by two more Bulblins. This time, however, she just fired Light Arrows at them, killing them instantly. She hurried into the village, hopeful that someone would be able to lend her a sword and shield and maybe some clothes.

As she entered the village, she immediately knew something was wrong. She peeked out from behind the building that bordered the entrance and gasped.

Shadow beasts were _everywhere_. They walked through the village warily, pausing to listen every once and a while. Zelda shrunk back, slowly realizing that even though the twilight had receded, these people had been cursed and transformed, just like Link.

As Zelda rushed back through the woods, a voice rang out through the words, ancient and majestic. "Princess...Come to my spring..."

Zelda turned quickly into the Light Spirit's spring. It was almost identical to Faron Spring, but had lighter colors.

"Princess...You bear the Power of the Goddesses...O Wise Princess, wield these in battle and be victorious," Ordona floated above the surface, then dove back into the shallow water, causing it to glow gold for an instant.

An exact replica of her previous sword was in front of her, as well as a small silver shield. Thanking the spirit, she walked back to Faron Spring with her new weapons in hand. Annoyed with her ripped dress, she tore off the edges and the sleeves; the dress was now strapless and above her knees.

"Ugh," she muttered, entering the Spring once more.

Link sat up, opening his eyes. The sun had felt pleasant on his fur; he stood slowly, recognizing Zelda. With a groan, Midna sat up, too.

"By the way... Since you killed those Shadow Beasts by the Temple," Midna started. However, she didn't finish; she twisted midair, dissolving. Link and Zelda followed suit.

They stood at the entrance to the Sacred Grove, where bridges spun in the wind and old, disgusting corpses lay at the bottom of a deep canyon.

Zelda would periodically disappear and reappear at the other side of a bridge or obstacle; she repeated this feat until they reached the Grove itself. Link growled and his eyes darted around quickly, chasing something that the humans with him couldn't see.

With one last threatening snarl, Link fell unconscious.

**Author's Note: Did it make **_**any**_** sense? No? That's because school just started up again. **


	6. The Spirit Merchant

Moans filled the air and floating spirits cried for help. They were lost, hopelessly lost in this strange forest. They floated, unaware that they had passed on decades ago. They didn't speak modern Hylian; just old words that no one understood anymore.

Link snarled again, trying to back up but finding that he was frozen to the spot. His eyes fluttered spastically and he whined, scared of these dead souls that found no secret treasure.

Focusing back on the ten or twenty spirits that cried and wailed for help, he noticed one that was not human; in an unfamiliar tongue, it entered the spirit's particular timeframe and, wielding a scythe and a full metal armor, it approached. It became clear that this wraith was a merchant, hoping to taint the spirit's soul. It was the one of legends; it was a Poe.

Link snarled again, and the Poe took notice of him. With a lantern glowing in a strange blue light, it hovered above him and prepared to slice him to bits; in one quick movement, Link broke free of his paralysis and rolled to the side, missing the scythe by inches. He leaped into the air and tore at the neck of the creature; it hissed and shook free. The metal armor was just an illusion—it was unprotected. Link again dodged the scythe and attacked, this time knocking the Poe to the ground. A strange, black and red patterned orb floated where the heart would have been, and Link realized it was a tainted soul. He tore it out and it disappeared into the air.

"Link," Zelda said, worriedly standing aside. "Are you back?"

Link whined unsteadily. He realized that they couldn't see anything but the one physical aspect of the Poe; a blue lantern.

"Crazy dog," Midna snorted, sitting on Link again. "Let's go, already!"

Link darted ahead, through a small cave. As he entered the new opening in the forest, a small, blue creature appeared in front of him, wearing a witch's hat and a brown tunic; it looked like a baby Bokoblin or something of the sort. With a childish grin, it drew its trumpet to its lips and played a single note, giggling and twirling in the air. Zelda arrived just as it disappeared. "Link, over there; the cave opened!" She said, pointing. Link could barely make out the small lantern light through it, and he darted ahead.

In front of him appeared five wooden puppets, suspended in the air. Their heads tilted from side to side, their eyes whirling. Link growled and felt Midna's energy field surround them all, and he darted at them in quick succession.

He ran ahead, finding Zelda standing still and silent. She closed her eyes for a moment and pointed to the left hand tunnel that led to a small, shallow lake; all three darted ahead and Link dove into the water, following a woodsy scent that trailed through the air. In the small cave underneath a massive tree, the creature stood, grinning stupidly. Link leapt at it and snapped its neck in one quick bite; but it cracked its neck back into place, blew the same note on the trumpet, and disappeared. Puppets surrounded him, and he again used Midna's energy and his strength to continue onwards.

Yet again, Zelda stood, pointed him in the right direction, and continued onwards. Every time Link snapped the creature's neck, it bowed to the side a little; and Link realized that only one more time was required, and he killed the puppets faster and more aggressively than before. Something called to him...

The creature appeared right in front of him, and Link leapt at it, this time pinning it down with his paw and trying to decapitate it. The creature disappeared into a pile of brown leaves and the voice slowly giggled, "I'll let you in...but just this once!"

Link darted through the cavern that opened and looked in wonder at the marvelous, crumbling roofless-colosseum type structure. In his line of sight, he saw the ancient stairs through a ruined doorway...

His Triforce pulsed as he approached the glimmering sword that shone in the sunlight.

**Author's Note: A filler. But I have some big, chunky paragraphs for you guys. You're welcome. :)**


	7. The Blade of Evil's Bane

The forest was eerie and silent. As Link cautiously approached, his eyes became sharp and focused. He had felt its call, inevitable and mysterious, for a long time. It was like two magnets, always connecting…

Suddenly, Link met huge resistance as he stood on top of the steps. Stone tablets lay scattered around the circular area. Beams of light broke through the trees directly onto the sword.

The magnets had been switched, so that both North sides faced each other, making every inch between the two more difficult to get closer… Link struggled to take a step, and with much force, managed two.

Midna giggled and sighed dramatically. "Oh, are you scared? Come on, doggie, come on!" She called, floating forward rapidly. As she came within ten feet of the sword, she hit an invisible wall that threw her backwards and back where Link stood. She gasped.

Zelda stood at the top step, waiting. She saw Link's Triforce pulse, and watched him take another small step forward.

Yet it wasn't far enough. He was still thirty feet or more from the blade. With a angered growl, he savagely leaped forward, rolling and hitting the ground instead of landing on his feet. Link snarled and his eyes darted around the earthen enclosure once.

Again jumping forward, he stuck his nails into the soil and pulled himself forward. Wind picked up as he approached the ten feet area, and it was so strong it pulled his lips back, revealing sharp white teeth that were barred. He barked loudly and darted forward again, making only a small part of the distance. Link rolled onto his side and then leaped up in the air.

Two feet; one foot…

As Link stood with four paws upon the stone slab that the sword rested on, he approached slowly and cautiously. He lifted his paw with the Triforce on it and connected it to the Blade of Evil's Bane.

The wind pushed against him from underneath. He tried to stay on four feet, but only managed two; a blinding light flashed through his vision, and he was human yet again.

He lifted the sword from the slab, holding it high above his head. The wind rippled around him, stirring up dust from the ground. Midna was pushed back another step; she stepped forward again just as Link brought the sword down in a vertical slice, and she skittered back.

"Link," Zelda breathed. "Look at your clothes."

Looking down at himself, he saw a green tunic with white-gray leggings underneath. Assorted pockets and straps showed signs of worn leather, and a long, pointy green hat fell down his back.

"You're the Chosen One. The Hero of Time, Link," Zelda continued. He sheathed his sword.

"Princess," Link almost laughed. She hadn't really proved that she liked the formalities. "If you could do me the honor of explaining what's happened?" His voice was full of muffled laughter. The past few months, he had talked with soldiers; gruff, almost rude remarks and blunt questions were customary.

"Hyrule has been taken by a man named Zant. He is from a different world; one where the Goddesses created just for the imprisonment of those who have sinned. It is called the Twilight Realm.

"The Twilight Realm is a world of twilight. No other time of day exists. The people there harbor ill will towards those who are permitted to live in the Light; a world we once shared. However, many of those people wouldn't hurt a fly; they live in peace and made do with what they had.

"Zant was not one of those people. He used the ancient Mirror to enter this realm again and take over both realms. He has cast out a curse upon the humans; they are Shadow Beasts now. He also spread Twilight throughout the land; that means you must switch forms at least two times in the nearby future. Link, we must save the realms from this false King," Zelda finished, looking earnestly up at Link, who towered over her at almost six feet tall.

"Of course, Princess. Uhm," Link looked uncomfortable. "What of, err, what of your dress, Princess?"

Zelda sighed. It was stained, damp, ripped and ragged. "I will find something," she laughed. Her eyes shifted to the side, and something caught them; with a quick gasp, she darted away into the main room and picked up a thick, ruined book.

Link slowly walked to her. She glanced up at him and then sat down, obscuring the cover with her knees.

"What book?" Link asked. "—are you reading, Princess?" he added.

"No need for the formalities. And it's just an old historical title…" She trailed off, and Link could tell she was lying. Whatever she was reading, it was off-limits to him. He nodded and turned around, pacing slowly.

Midna suddenly appeared at his shoulder. "You look like a grasshopper," She informed him.

"…Thanks?"

With a giggle, Midna slipped into his shadow. He turned and then laughed slowly.

"She does that. Don't mind her," Zelda assured, not looking up.

After a while, she stood up, leaving the book open on the floor. Still, no chance of seeing the title. But the words weren't Hylian; they were a mix of Old Hylian and Ancient Hylian.

Walking out of the grove was difficult, but Zelda could tell which way was right or wrong, making things considerably easier.

Once they reached the swinging logs, Zelda murmured something softly. With a _whoosh_ sound, they were across the chasm and winding their way through the air onto oversized tree roots and vines.

Finally, they made it back to the original platform. "Link, we need a lantern. Coro sells them, but I think he's hiding indoors. Do you have enough rupees for one?"

"Yeah," Link grunted, searching through his new tunic for his wallet, counting the full three hundred. "I'll be right back," He said. He walked away slowly.

"Wait, Link—I forgot to tell…" Her voice faded into the background.

Heading south, he made good time until he reached North Faron Woods.

Coating the ground was a thick, choking fog that was impossible to walk through. The smell was musky and made Link a bit dizzy. With a sigh, he turned around and started to walk back. But as he made his way out, he noticed a small, burned-out lantern. He cheered silently to himself and walked back.

The bird that normally minded the small shop with lantern oil was absent, so Link took an empty bottle and filled the rupee box with the required money.

Zelda smiled as he came close. They walked slowly up the narrow path to the Forest Temple, where Midna needed them to go to. Two bokoblins awaited with a caged monkey in the center. After dealing with the two, he cut open the cage and the monkey jumped out, clapping its hands above its head enthusiastically.

It stood, beckoning to Link, in front of a huge spiderweb. He gulped and lit it on fire, walking into the Forest Temple that Rusl and the other villagers had warned everyone in the village against.

"Link, Midna," Zelda addressed. "I will be your help from the outside. I'm just a burden to both of you, and I don't need someone to tell me that," Zelda continued. Link tried to interject, but she cut him off. "Link, I am _ordering_ you to clean the Forest Temple of any and all threats. Get the item that Midna seeks, whatever it is. _Go._"

Zelda watched as Link slowly faded into the dark temple.

**Author's Note: I totally have an idea. Well, maybe ideas. **** Reviews are welcomed/encouraged/PLEASEJUSTREVIEWDONTMAKEMEBEG.**


	8. The Ruined Temple

The room was a giant tree hollow. A path, made of ancient wood, wound through the center, and vines wound up the inner branches of the tree, which spanned across the ceiling like skinny hands. Ledges held ancient pots, no doubt containing old offerings to the Light spirit Faron.

Link marveled at the room's rogue beauty. No one had entered this temple since the Ancient War, when Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, and two other unnamed races fought in a battle over Hyrule.

Farther into the room, a huge wooden staircase with matching banisters led upwards, to an archway that led into a different room. Link spotted two bokoblins.

Cautiously walking forward, a Deku Baba sprung up out of the grass, and Link swiftly cut the stem. Oozing green fluid leaked from the mouth-like appendage that the carnivorous plant had developed, and he winced, walking by. He realized that everything he killed would leave a huge mess upon the sacred grounds, and he sighed. He had no time for a cleanup.

As he climbed the staircase, both Bokoblins rushed at him, equipped with crude wooden clubs. Link let them get close, and as they both surrounded him, he did a spin attack, slicing their ribcages and hearts in one quick and relatively painless blow. Blood spattered upon the staircase, and the bodies lay haphazardly strewn upon the Temple's floor.

Link spotted a rusted skeleton key attached to a Bokoblin's belt, and he snatched it quickly. He sauntered into another room; this one was about the same size, but it had various wooden platforms that held more ancient pots and the remains of what looked to be food offerings. This room split into four different rooms at the top of an archaic -looking staircase.

Link carefully walked up the staircase. It creaked and groaned at every step, and at one point, he stopped and took a step back, afraid that his weight would break it. But in the brief silence, another sound started up; a loud scuttling from the top of the staircase. With a wary look, Link took his sword out of its sheath and jumped over the weak step. He hurried up the rest of the stairs, and took in a startled breath when he saw the massive Skulltula that rushed at him.

Midna leaped out of his shadow. _"Link!"_ she screeched. "Do _something,_ you _idiot!_"

Link shook his head quickly and stabbed forward at the Skulltula's eyes, to no avail. The gargantuan spider had used the spiky part of one of its eight legs to catch the sword and deflect it, coming off with only a scratch. When Link hesitated once more, it advanced upon him and he barely had time to catch two large fangs with his sword. He had held it horizontally, using both hands. He could feel the leather hand cover on his left hand giving way, and, unthinkingly, shifted it. The sword cut his palm open, blood dripping onto the wood floor. He gasped, and Midna materialized.

"_Kick it!_" She yelped. Link resumed his battle with the spider and lifted his sword further, making his hand hurt far worse. He then kicked it in the stomach; this caused the Skulltula to rear upwards and back up, disengaging itself from Link's sword. Finally, Link mustered up the courage to stab the spider through the head, effectively ending its struggles.

"Ugh," Link muttered. His hand was bleeding and open. With his right hand, he found a small bottle of red Chu Jelly. He drank it quickly, the blood stopped and the tissues reforming. Midna made a disgusted noise and glared at him.

"What was that about? You're not afraid of Shadow Beasts, but you're scared stiff of a spider? Jeez," Midna rolled her eyes.

"It was a bit more than a _spider_. And...I don't really know. I'm not really afraid of anything...but for a moment, I was so scared..." Link confessed, shaking his head. His sandy blonde hair fell in his eyes, and he left it there. "Sorry."

"Whatever. Just don't do it again, okay? Let's just get out of here," Midna chastised. She swirled back into Link's shadow, and he sighed.

Link continued, going North, through the hastily locked door; he could plainly see that with enough force, he wouldn't even need the key. The metal chains had rusted and were deteriorating. It made Link sad to see the horrid condition of the once sacred temple. Perhaps Zelda intended on restoring it; she did say to clear it.

As Link walked into the room, he realized he was above a large water supply for the huge tree. He walked further on the branch that had obviously thinned; it was thick at first, but became about as wide as Link's shoe, and he realized that he had to dive down into the thick, green-blue water below, twenty feet downwards.

It was obvious that there was once a bridge where he had to jump from. Link quickly tossed his shoes onto the wooden platform near where he would land; next came his hat. With a snide remark from Midna about him stripping, he dove head first into the water.

Link shut his eyes before he hit the water. Although, as he tried to swim back to the surface, he realized that it was thick and sticky. The water was at least half mixed-in tree sap. The harder he fought the thick water, the harder it was to reach the surface. He tried an alternative method, gently kicking downwards, but his feet became tangled in an especially sticky string of sap that had gotten stuck on the bottom.

He tried, futilely, to swim to the surface again. The water was too thick, and he could feel his air leaving. Link started becoming dizzy and panicked; within three minutes, his breath was gone. He couldn't hold it anymore—he breathed outwards once, and then felt his airways become dry and longing. He didn't open his mouth, because he knew the sticky sap would choke him.

Link, with one last push, reached his hand upwards and started to fade.

-(*)-

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up! LINK! HEY! Wake the hell up or I'm dropping you back in that stupid water to die!" Midna snapped. She alternated from chanting "wake up" or insulting Link. Currently, she improvised and used a tiny fist to lift and drop onto Link's forehead. He was breathing now—she was glad. Eventually, Link started to cough and sputter.

He opened his eyes to two other wide yellow-and-red eyes. Disoriented, he rolled away and drew his sword.

"Oh, sure. Threaten the girl who saves your sorry ass," Midna snapped. "Come on. Hurry up. We need to get outta here as soon as we can; I'm getting tired of this entire brown-and-green thing."

Link gathered up his things and stood up. He was grateful to Midna, but he didn't quite know how to thank her. Instead, he decided that silence would be best.

The ground was another thick branch that was just above the water that almost took his life; with a sigh, he balanced himself out of sheer willpower. A pygmy Skulltula floated ahead, but dropped off of the narrow branch and into the water below.

Finally, Link came upon a large archway. He entered, sword drawn, and looked around the huge, dim room. This room was obviously slanted at the ceiling; it started at about three hundred feet tall and went to about ten, at the lowest.

Link could also plainly see that _something_ was in the corner, and he held his sword in front of him.

A large wooden grate slid down from atop the archway; something had cut the numerous ropes that held it there. Link realized it was a boomerang that flew back to its possessor in the corner of the room.

A dark laugh filled the room, and Link rolled out of the way of the boomerang right before it sliced into the ground behind where he was standing.

**Author's Note: Yeah, totally different than the in-game temple. Shadow Commando, thanks for all the ideas. By the way, the next chapter is the miniboss and boss. Finally. **


	9. The Puppet & Diababa

The dark figure in the corner rose upwards, jerking sickeningly instead of a graceful bend of the knees or arms. It appeared to be a young girl, but she had no skin; instead, she was a wooden puppet, with dark strings sliding across small slots in the ceiling. The girl approached Link, head bending to hit the wooden shoulders.

The puppet's wide eyes were bright green, glowing in the dimness of the room. They were incredibly wide, and the nose was thin and straight. Its lips were pulled back into a horrific smile, and Link backed up against the grate.

The puppet-girl came closer and tried to pin Link against the wall. Link, terrified of the terrifying monster, jerked away sharply, and he felt a small pain in his arm. Glancing at it, he realized that if he hadn't have moved, the boomerang would have taken his arm off. Instead, he was left with a small gash that barely bled. Steel edged one side of the weapon, and it removed itself from the grate. He saw that this, too, had strings attached to it.

The giggle that escaped the puppet's throat was not the taunting laugh that Midna so often used; it was a high-pitched, little-girl giggle that was all the more fearsome on the mockery of a human. Link rolled to the side and started running along the walls of the room.

"You have to cut the strings, Link!" Midna's voice shouted from his shadow. Link felt like flicking her; how was he supposed to cut the strings? He only had a sword!

"I can't!" Link yelled back, frantic. "I don't have anything to cut them with!"

The puppet yanked upwards and then descended upon Link's back, locking two wooden arms around his neck. The strings made an X, and Link dropped his sword, hitting the monster's arms, to no avail. He remembered when he was first a wolf, and he threw himself on his back; he did the same now. With a hollow crunch, the puppet broke up into dust.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Link picked up his sword slowly. He spied the boomerang, hovering about seven feet in the air, dormant. He sheathed his sword and darted towards it; the weapon would surely come in handy. He saw it drift upwards a fraction, though, and jumped up to grab it, holding on with both hands.

The strings that held the boomerang did not break; instead, they started becoming slack. However, when Link was about two feet above the ground, they became tight again. A slamming noise commenced, and a large piece of the ceiling broke off, falling to the ground in a huge pile.

The most enormous, disgusting creature Link had ever seen was laying face first on the ground. It looked like a large tree; but it had dead branches that turned into strings at the end, and the head was at the top branch. It was a cross between a tree and a human-like creature, but had long since become part of the forest.

Luckily, Link supposed, the thing was dead. With a sigh, he used his sword to cut the heavy strings that had propelled the boomerang, holding it up in front of him to get a better view. It was made of a light-colored wood, with leaf carvings on it. One side had razor sharp steel siding, making a very useful tool. Link noticed the spin-wheel at the top of the grate, and he tossed the boomerang at it. With a small tornado-like wind current, it flew to the wheel and rotated it a few times, making enough room for him to exit.

Thumping sounded from the upper cavern of the temple, and Link knew that that would be his last destination in this ruined place.

With reluctance, he went back into the water room and found that, if he went North, there was a path leading to a larger room. This new room had overgrown grass, brushing against Link's legs and hiding the Deku Babas that had infested the room.

After Link had successfully destroyed the beasts in the room, he moved to the far side of it, where a spin-wheel at the top of a door blocked his way into the next room. He knew that this was the altar room; the ultimate place of worship—the place where whatever Midna sought after was.

Using his newfound boomerang, he spun the wheel three times, and the door lifted up. A long, dark passage awaited him, and he drew his sword again.

As Link walked into the room, he noticed a big change in color. He could see sunlight, peaking through little holes in the ceiling, far above. The room was a large circle, with half covered in that thick, filthy water that Link hated. However, other than that, the room seemed...safe.

Link sauntered forward, confident that there was nothing in this room but an old altar that had long since crumbled into dust. Overgrown grass brushed against him, and he laughed nervously. Something was wrong...very wrong.

Still, Link was surprised when the giant Deku Baba raised up out of the water and roared. _Roared?_ Link thought. _That's not a normal Deku Baba..._

"Get the hell away from that thing!" Midna screeched, materializing and pulling him by the collar back to the side of the room. Just as they touched the wall, the giant Deku Baba raised up two more of the huge plants. After that, it opened its huge mouth, emitting an acid that burned the ground and incinerated the grass. Link caught a glimpse of an eye-like thing in the mouth; he quickly realized that this was essential to killing it. Rusl, back at the village, used to tell him stories about how his great great grandfather was in the Ancient War, and how he used to say, "whatever's not normal's a weakness".

Using his boomerang, Link picked up a bombling that he had spotted in the grass and hurled it at a smaller Deku Baba. It chomped down on it—Link silently counted to three, and the plant sunk into the water, dead. He repeated the process with the other side, and then he was left with no bombs, and a giant, carnivorous plant.

"Uh-oh..." Midna muttered. The thing had started to emit more acid, disintegrating the land by about two feet. Link dashed forward and back in a quick leap; it hurled its head at him, essentially dizzying itself. The mouth opened, and Link saw his opening.

With a grunt, Link leaped forward, sword in hand, and sliced the eye clean off.

The entire room seemed to shake as the Deku Baba writhed in agony. It threw its head upwards, backwards, side to side, hitting itself over and over again. With one last roar, it shriveled up and sunk into the dark water.

An arrow flew through the air, striking the water. It cleared, and Link looked up to see Zelda on a small platform above the fight.

"I think the puppet was harder to kill, actually," Link added, clearing his throat. Zelda laughed, and Midna emerged from Link's shadow.

"This..." Midna whispered. "_This _is what I've been looking for," she continued, holding up a strange, stone helmet piece. It had markings on it; similar to the ones on Midna's hands. "The Fused Shadows."

**Author's Note: Okay, so I got a little creative with the miniboss. And not so creative with the actual boss. Shame on me XD. Oh, well. I promise, something more interesting shall come...later. Alright, reviews are welcomed. :)**


	10. Information

"That's…not…possible!" Zelda gasped, her words forming broken, shocked sentences. She took a step forward, towards the floating Fused Shadow, but as if scared, took it back again.

"Oh, yes, Princess, it is. You see, these things are _hereditary. _These are rightfully mine," Midna smiled, fang and all. She snapped, and it was gone to somewhere in her invisible possession.

"That means you're—,"

"I already said it; they're rightfully mine," Midna cut her off. She, apparently, didn't want something to be said, and Zelda made note of it.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Link asked, stepping forward. His façade was wearing thin; he was stressed and, frankly, tired, though he wouldn't have admitted it. He hadn't eaten in two days, and he was dehydrated—all of which made him cranky.

"Those things are called Fused Shadows. They have immense power and only a certain person can wield them effectively. They haven't been seen since the Ancient War…and the people who wielded them are called the Twili," Zelda drawled, looking bored. She seemed to have wanted a better explanation from Midna, which she obviously didn't get.

Link sighed. Of course Zelda knew all of this. Since she was born, everyone knew that she had the power of the Goddesses—the only reason that babies were named Zelda was because they possessed the Triforce of Wisdom. Link, too, was named Link because of the mark on his hand; but, like others, his parents fled the at the sight of it and abandoned him in the lonely forest.

"Who are the Twili?"

"Midna's people. They are on the other side of the Mirror," Zelda explained, cautiously avoiding Midna's temper. "We should go."

The light outside was dimming, becoming twilight once more, and Midna's eyes flashed. A warp portal appeared on the ground, and Link and Zelda stepped into it.

They were outside the temple, and Link sighed. He knew his time to become a wolf again was near. "We are heading to Death Mountain," Zelda announced.

"That sounds fun," Link muttered, sarcasm dripping.

Midna laughed. "Well, let's get going. We have a long way to go, and two of your 'provinces' to restore Light to. Unless you wanted to keep it like this," Midna gestured to the sky, where the sun was absent, but light still peaked through the orange clouds.

"No thanks," Link said, walking ahead.

"Wait, Link," Zelda called. He stopped and turned. "You must be famished. Let's find ourselves some food."

Link mentally slapped himself. "Oh, okay! Let me go get some food from the village-,"

"Link," Zelda started. "The curse didn't just affect you…it affected all of Hyrule. They are beasts, and they've lost their minds to the Twilight," she let her voice drift into the eerie silence.

"What?"

"They've been cursed. They're shadow beasts, and I can't fix this. We must speak to Faron to see if the Light Spirits have an idea."

Link had no color in his face. Beasts? His village? No. It was impossible to him; he followed Zelda to the spring senselessly, denying everything. No, it was an illusion, or a trick.

"O Healers of the Forest, what have you come for?" The voice came with no form. Midna laughed when Zelda jumped.

"The people of Hyrule have been cursed," Zelda said sadly. "Is there a cure to this plague?"

"Light is the cure. You must save Hyrule, and then the land beyond the Mirror…the dark one, Zant, is the one with the cure. He has taken the light out of the people, and with every hit your blade shall absorb it. His blood is Light."

"Thank you," Zelda murmured, turning away. With a yelp, she faced Link's huge horse, Epona, who had run at them upon sight.

"Let's go," Link ordered, his voice flat and hard. Zelda sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a desperate effort to stay on the horse, which was flying through the forest and then through the field at a pace that seemed impossible.

The wall of Twilight came before the entrance to the Kakariko Village. Epona refused to go anywhere near it, and tried to buck within twenty feet of it. Link and Zelda walked cautiously up towards it, marveling at the designs and sketches on it.

Midna, being the prankster that she was, had floated in silently into the wall and had waited for them to turn around. Then, she grabbed them both, using one large hand that her hair took form of.

Link's stomach rolled, and his eyesight flashed blue. Again came the process of shuddering and blinking, and then he was a wolf again.

**Author's Note: I hate this chapter. It's such a filler. And it's short. And boring. Etc, etc. Oh, well. I have an idea for another fic that I'll be working on along with this, detailing the "ancient war" that I've mentioned like fifteen times. 'Cuz I feel like it. So, please do review and tell me how much this chapter sucked; I'd really appreciate it. **


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